Ron Paul campaign slam ex-aide over anti-gay claims

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul's campaign fired back Tuesday (27 December) at a former lonjgtime aide who stated in a column that the Texas congressman is, among other things, 'personally uncomfortable around gays.'

Eric Dondero had written a defense this week of his former boss on the RightWingNews website against allegations that he is racist and anti-semitic. When it came to being 'a homophobe,' Dondero wrote that the answer is 'yes and no.'

Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said in an email to the CBS News Political Hotsheet blog that Dondero 'is a disgruntled former staffer who was fired for performance issues. He has zero credibility and should not be taken seriously.'

Dondero had challenged Paul for his congressional seat in 2007, but he denied to Hotsheet that he was fired by Paul.

'I dispute that vehemently,' he said. 'I'll take him to court over that if that's what he's saying.'

Dondero had shared a story in which Paul refused to use a homosexual man's bathroom, instead opting to use a public restroom in a fast food restaurant.

'He is not all bigoted towards homosexuals,' Dondero wrote. 'He supports their rights to do whatever they please in their private lives. He is however, personally uncomfortable around homosexuals, no different from a lot of older folks of his era.'

The openly gay US former basketball star Jason Collins will be among the First Lady's guests at President Barack Obama's State of the Union Speech, leading some to believe the president will highlight his campaign's successes with regards to LGBTI rights